Tia Trout ’02 is named a Truman Scholar
Sweet Briar College student is one of only 70 nationwide winners
March 23, 2001 SWEET BRIAR, VA. -
Tia Trout, Louisa, Ky., a junior at Sweet Briar College, is among 70 recipients from 51 colleges and universities nationwide, to receive the highly selective Truman Scholarship. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship recognizes college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Trout, who was recently elected president of Sweet Briar’s Student Government Association, is a government major, with a concentration in law and society, minoring in music. She has served as class president during her freshman, sophomore and junior years at Sweet Briar, and plans a career in public service after graduating in May 2002. Trout has participated in numerous efforts to support academic, civic, and community engagement, including spending Saturday mornings teaching 4th and 5th grade children about archaeology, and initiating a campus discussion promoting academic rigor. Sweet Briar is a selective residential women’s college in central Virginia known for its programs in government, law and society; it has recently established the Center for Civic Renewal to foster Americans’ participation in public life. Trout was selected for the scholarship following a formal interview March 2 in Nashville. As a recipient of the scholarship, Trout will earn $30,000 for graduate work leading to a career in public service. In addition to her leadership at Sweet Briar, she worked for 13 weeks for the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. Supreme Court during summer 2000. “During my years at Sweet Briar, I’ve developed a growing passion for student government combined with public service,” said Trout, who has participated in numerous efforts to support academic, civic, and community engagement, initiating a campus discussion promoting academic rigor. She plans to pursue graduate studies in bio-ethics to prepare for a career in public policy and health law. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship The 2001 Truman Scholars were elected by fifteen independent selection panels on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability, and likelihood of “making a difference.” An additional 6-10 Scholars are expected to be selected at panels meeting March 26-30. The 70 Scholars were selected from among 592 candidates nominated by 303 colleges and universities. Each selection panel interviewed Finalists from a 3 – 4 state region and generally elected one Scholar from each state and one or two at-large Scholars from the region. Each panel typically included a university president, a federal judge, a distinguished public servant, and a past Truman Scholarship winner. Each Scholarship provides $30,000 Ñ $3,000 for the senior year and $27,000 for two or three years of graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government. Recipients must be US citizens, have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, be in the top quarter of their class, and be committed to careers in government or the not-for-profit sector. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to our thirty-third President. The Foundation awards scholarships for college students to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. The activities of the Foundation are supported by a special trust fund in the US Treasury. There have been 2,089 Truman Scholars elected since the first awards were made in 1977. The 2001 Truman Scholars will assemble May 20 for a week-long leadership development program at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and receive their awards in a special ceremony at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, on May 27, 2000.